Air pollution by sources ranging from cooking fires to auto fumes contributed to an estimated seven million deaths worldwide in 2012, the UN health agency has said.
"Air pollution, and we're talking about both indoors and outdoors, is now the biggest environmental health problem, and it is affecting everyone, both developed and developing countries," said Maria Neira, the World Health Organisation's public and environmental health chief.
Globally, pollution was linked to one death in eight in 2012, new WHO research found.
The biggest pollution-related killers were heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
The hardest-hit regions of the globe were what the WHO labels Southeast Asia, which includes India and Indonesia, and the Western Pacific, ranging from China and South Korea to Japan and the Philippines. Together, they accounted for 5.9 million deaths.
The global death toll included 4.3 million deaths due to indoor air pollution, chiefly caused by cooking over coal, wood and biomass stoves. The toll from outdoor pollution was 3.7 million, with sources ranging from coal heating fires to diesel engines.
Many people are exposed to both indoor and outdoor pollution, the WHO said, and due to that overlap the separate death toll attributed to the two sources cannot simply be added together, hence the figure of seven million deaths. The new figure is "shocking and worrying", Ms Neira told reporters.
When it last released an estimate for deaths related to air pollution, in 2008, the agency had put the figure related to outdoor pollution at 1.3 million, while the number blamed on indoor pollution was 1.9 million. But a change in research methods makes comparison difficult between the 2008 estimate and the 2012 figures, Neira said.
In the past, for example, the WHO did not take into account the overlap between exposure to both forms, and only assessed urban pollution. Satellite imagery has made it easier to assess rural pollution, and new knowledge about the health impact of exposure has enabled a better count. "The risks from air pollution are now far greater than previously thought or understood, particularly for heart disease and strokes," said Neira. "Few risks have a greater impact on global health today than air pollution. The evidence signals the need for concerted action to clean up the air we all breathe."
According to the WHO, some 2.9 billion people in poor nations live in homes that use fires as their principle method of cooking and heating. Carlos Dora, the WHO's public and environmental health coordinator, said that turned homes into "combustion chambers". Simple measures to stem the impact include so-called "clean cook stoves", which are a low-tech option, as well as improved ventilation, he said.
Countries also need to rethink policies, Mr Dora said, pointing to the impact in the developed world of a shift to cleaner power sources, more efficient management of energy demand, and technical strides in the auto industry. He also said transport policies needed a shake-up. With air pollution having sparked a recent scare in France, leading to restrictions on car use and the temporary scrapping of public transport fees in Paris, Mr Dora said such measures could be applied in the longer term. "You can't buy clean air in a bottle," he said."The air is a shared resource. In order to breathe clean air, we have to have interventions in the areas that pollute air." The WHO said it planned by the end of this year to release a ranking of the world's 1,600 most polluted cities.The main idea of this article is that .
| A．In the past, the WHO did not take into account the overlap between exposure to both forms. |
| B．Air pollution by sources ranging from cooking fires to auto fumes caused an estimated seven million deaths worldwide in 2012. |
| C．According to the WHO, some 2.9 billion people use fires as their principle method of cooking and heating. |
| D．The WHO will release a ranking of the world's 1,600 most polluted cities by the end of this year. |
The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to “ ”..
| A．The risks |
| B．cooking fires |
| C．environmental health problem |
| D．Air pollution |
Which of the following is True according to the passage? .
| A．The biggest pollution-related killers were heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and lung cancer. |
| B．Air pollution only affects developing countries. |
| C．The risks from air pollution are now not serious. |
| D．Maria Neira said that we can't buy clean air in a bottle. |
What is main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．The air is a our shared resource. |
| B．The WHO will release a ranking of the world's 1,600 most polluted cities. |
| C．The government should make effective policies to control the air pollution. |
| D．The transport policies need a shake-up. |
The death toll in 2008 can hardly compare with that in 2012 because________.
| A．the death toll included 4.3 million deaths due to indoor air pollution. |
| B．in 2008 the WHO only assessed rural pollution. |
| C．the research methods changed. |
| D．the risks from air pollution are now far greater than previously thought. |
The popular song ‘Gangnam Style’ from South Korean recording artist PSY has just become the most watched video on YouTube ever, getting more than 808 million views on the popular media site.
The distinction was previously held by another pop heavyweight, Justin Bieber, whose song ‘Baby’ had a little more than 804 million views at press time. PSY made the announcement on his Twitter page earlier today.
Since its release, the song has defeated such other popular videos as Jennifer Lopez’s ‘On the Floor’ and Eminem's ‘Love the Way You Lie’. And in September, 'Gangnam Style' also became the most liked video on YouTube, now with nearly 5.4 million thumbs up.
At the time of the announcement, the Guinness Book of World Records released a statement saying: “In years past it was unthinkable that something would be viewed a hundred million times, and now Gangnam Style has achieved more than twice this figure in just three months on YouTube. PSY, your certificate is waiting here at our office, come pick it up any time!”
Despite its massive popularity, the video shows no signs of slowing down, and it even has a shot at becoming the first video to get more than one billion views.
If it maintains its current rate of around six million new views per day, ‘Gangnam Style’ would be in line to break that record by the end of the year.
The YouTube honors are just the latest in a long list that shows just how popular the song has become. Since it was released in July, the song has seen a meteoric rise through the music industry.
It has found its way to the tops of music charts in more than 30 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Canada, while providing material for thousands of parody（恶搞）videos.
It became part of the 2012 presidential elections with the now famous ‘Mitt Romney Style’ video and was even used by the North Korean government in propaganda films promoting their supreme leader.
Meanwhile, such influential figures as President Obama, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt have all made mention of the hit song.This passage mainly talks about a world famous________.
A. music chart B. video website
C. music video C. Korean pop singerWhich of the following about “Gangnam Style” is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．“Gangnam Style” has defeated Justin Bieber’s “Baby” on You Tube’s views. |
| B．“Gangnam Style” has been the favorite to at least 5.4 million people. |
| C．“Gangnam Style” has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. |
| D．“Gangnam Style” has been the first to get more than 1 billion views. |
What can we infer from this passage?
| A．The influence of “Gangnam Style” has spread far and wide |
| B．Obama won the presidential election partly because of the ‘Mitt Romney Style’ video. |
| C．Despite its massive popularity, the fever of “Gangnam Style” has decreased. |
| D．PSY will become one of the greatest musicians due to the popularity of “Gangnam Style”. |
The hottest show this summer-the “Voice" just finished on Sunday at the Shanghai Stadium．But the show that had a good start didn't end to everyone's satisfaction．The two and a half hour show dragged on for more than four hours because of the huge amount of advertising, which the audience and residents living nearby could hardly bear．
This summer, something hotter than the weather came to Shanghai．That is the Voice of China．The show soon became a cash cow for the organizer as the advertisement prices reached 1．16 million yuan for 15 seconds．And the show has earned more than 100 million yuan up to now in ad income only, But the organizers' bliss was audiences' melancholy．
In the final live show on Sunday, about 14 rounds of advertisements were aired, each of which came at a crucial result-announcing moment．
Frequently interrupted by advertisements, some live audience members complained that the show wasn't worth its ticket prices of 180 to 1680 yuan．
The planned two and a half hour show went two hours overtime because of the advertising．This annoyed audience members, and touched the nerves of residents living near the site．
Someone called the police, and the show is now facing punishment for going over-time and disturbing residents late at night．Why didn't "the Voice" make audience satisfied?
| A．It failed to attract audience attention in the end． |
| B．It failed to make audience satisfied． |
| C．It increased by one and a half hours and audience could bear it． |
| D．It was full of so many advertisements that audience can't tolerate them． |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The show lasted for over two and a half hours． |
| B．Someone called the police because they can't bear the noises late at night． |
| C．The show was worth its ticket prices because the audience watched many advertisements． |
| D．The show has earned more than 100 million yuan up to now totally． |
Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
| A．The Voice of China-the most popular TV show of last summer． |
| B．The Voice of China-hard to say I love you． |
| C．The Voice of China-I want you． |
| D．The Voice of China-the noises of China． |
This passage is organized in the pattern of___．
| A．time and event | B．comparison and contrast |
| C．cause and effect | D．definition and classification(分类) |
Dear Students,
I am delighted to be your guest.
I would like to tell you about myself. I have been a news reporter for the past fifteen years. I chose this job so I could travel the world, but the job has taught me many unforgettable lessons. The work is sometimes difficult. I have seen famines, wars, earthquakes, poverty and death. But I have also seen courage, hope and happiness.
In India, I visited a city where there were many homeless children. Some were as young as four years old. They lived in the streets and survived by begging or stealing. But then a wonderful lady called Rosa opened a home for them. Within one year, she was looking after two hundred children. She clothed them, fed them, and taught them. She gave them hope.
Another time, I was in Turkey after a terrible earthquake, in one place. I found an old lady whose house was in ruins, her son was missing and rescue workers said there was no chance that he was still alive. But the old lady did not give up hope. For four days, she moved heavy stones one at a time by herself. She did not stop until she found her son. He was alive.
Here in China, I met a young boy with a serious condition. He had undergone twenty operations and spent nearly his whole life in hospital. I thought he would be sad, but when I met him, his smile was so warm and welcoming.
In life, we need role models that we can admire and learn from. When my life is difficult, I try to remember the courage and goodness of these three people.The speaker is giving a speech to students in __________.
| A． India | B．Canada | C．Turkey | D．China |
The underlined word “ famine ” in Paragraph 2 means __________.
| A．extreme lack of food | B．joy | C．luck | D．pleasure |
What can we learn about Rosa?
| A．She’s a rich lady and she likes to help the homeless children. |
| B．She’s a great mother and she looks after the homeless children. |
| C．She’s a kind-hearted woman and she provides houses for the homeless children. |
| D．She’s a good teacher and she teaches the homeless children. |
For what does the speaker admire the Turkish woman and the Chinese boy?
| A．Their bravery. | B．Their luck. | C．Their age. | D．Their strong mind. |
On the first day of my new high school, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Everything about the school seemed so difficult. When I got home, my parents said, “You're nervous and that's okay. Everyone is afraid of high school.” I denied it. I wanted to be strong, so I refused to let anyone know about my fear, even my closest friends.
On the first day I was late for every class and was constantly lost. The school seemed like a puzzle that I couldn't figure out. Was this how the whole year was going to be? I didn't think I could rise to this challenge, especially carrying a huge backpack that I could hardly lift. It was so big that I could knock someone out with it! The schoolmates seemed to regard me as a fool, and they were probably right.
Despite my fears, after the first week I finally had my schedule figured out. With the exception of falling up and down the stairs a couple of times and getting laughed at, high school was turning out to be not so bad. It was actually much better than middle school and much more challenging.
Since then, I've been elected vice monitor of my class, which wasn't much of a victory since only three people ran for the four positions.
It is normal to be scared about a new school. Take a deep breath and relax. High school is something that any student can overcome. Make sure you participate in some outofclass activities because you'll find it easier to make friends. Try to do your best, even if it isn't straight A's.
Most important of all, be who you are, whether you're a “fool”， an athlete, or a lower grader. Don't try to pretend to be someone you're not. Now you know the true secrets of high school.The main reason for the author's fear on his first day is that ________.
| A．he was unable to work out the puzzle |
| B．his schoolmates were unfriendly to him |
| C．he was not familiar with the new surroundings |
| D．his schoolbag was too heavy for him to carry |
From the author's first day experience we can infer that ________.
| A．his home was far from the school |
| B．he got to school before classes began |
| C．he was fond of the school immediately. |
| D．he didn't know the right way to class |
After his first week at school, the author ________.
| A．was still not accustomed to the schedule |
| B．gradually adjusted himself to the new school |
| C．found high school not so challenging as he had imagined |
| D．ran for monitor of his class against three other students |
According to the passage, the secret of the author's success lies mainly in ________.
| A．making more friends |
| B．getting more A's at school |
| C．being who he really is |
| D．joining in outofclass activities |
Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday. The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its 111-year history. Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared”.
Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan — a pen name for Guan Moye, grew up in Gaomi, Shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing.
He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the same year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country’s unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a productive writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages.
The awarding ceremony will be held on December 10. The winner will win a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $1 million. How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?
| A．Excited and proud. | B．Worried and cautious. |
| C．Happy and surprised. | D．Uncertain and shocked. |
One of Mo Yan’s characteristics of writing is that he ________.
| A．writes about topics he is familiar with |
| B．focuses on social problems in the country |
| C．describes his characters in a unique way |
| D．explains difficult matters in simple words |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize |
| B．An Introduction to Nobel Prize |
| C．Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature |
| D．A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan |